Community Corner

Olympic Gold Medalist Will Speak at Long Lake Rowing Club's Holiday Fundraiser

Mary Whipple has won two Olympic gold medals, most recently at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.

The Long Lake Rowing Club will celebrate their successful first season with a special guest speaker, Mary Whipple, who will share her experiences of winning her second gold medal as a coxswain for the U.S. Women's Olympic Rowing team.  

Whipple will take listeners down the 2012 Olympic regatta course at Dorney Eton through the video and audio of her race for gold this past August. She also won a gold at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics in the women's eight competition.

The Long Lake Rowing Club's fundraising event "Deck the Hulls" is on Dec. 12 at Woodhill Country Club's Barn from 6-9 p.m. and is open to the public. Tickets are on sale now online or go to www.longlakerowingclub.us for more information. 

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Whipple's motivational talks on what it takes to be a winning athlete are inspiring to all ages and all performers. The Long Lake Rowing Club was founded last year with a group of enthusiastic community members, led by head coach Todd Wilson. The club co-hosts the Minneapolis Sprints regatta in June and The Winter Wolf Howl Ergatta in February, both in Long Lake.

Besides Whipple, the team also often brings in other guests speakers from the elite world of rowing including U.S. National Team coach Guenter Beutter.

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This year the Long Lake Rowing Club's junior crews stood on the podium at every regatta they attended and collected a number of golds. On Dec. 12 they will celebrate this successful first year, hear Mary Whipple inspire, enjoy chili by the fire and also recognize Orono High School senior, Erin Briggs—who after just four months of sculling with the Long Lake Rowing Club won the Junior’s Single event at the North West International Rowing Association regatta and has signed a letter of intent with the nation’s top women’s rowing university, University of Virginia.

The Long Lake Rowing Club launches from the old Billy's Lighthouse location to practice on Long Lake, April through October, with year-round indoor practice at a facility near Gear West. 

"Our club motto is 'Friendly People, Friendly Water—Bringing the Community Together," said coach Wilson, "And we are excited to be pulling local rowing to a new level."


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